This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more specifically, to electrical connectors which mate with contacts having varying centerline spacing due to design variations.
Certain electrical systems, such as, for example, cable to memory board interconnection systems, board to board interconnections, and back-plane connection systems include a large number of interface contacts arranged in line with one another. The interface contacts are designed to be positioned relative to one another with a predetermined centerline spacing between the contacts. The centerline spacing between the interface contacts, however, may vary in actual practice due to manufacturing tolerances in constructing and assembling the system, and over a large number of contacts the accumulation of tolerances is problematic to interfacing the in line contacts with a connector assembly. Specifically, the tolerances may result in misalignment of the in line contacts with corresponding contacts of the connector, which are also aligned with one another on a predetermined centerline spacing. Such misalignment of the interface contacts may result in one or more of the in line contacts touching the same contact in the connector, thereby shorting the interface contacts to one another. Misalignment of the interface contacts may also result in some of the contacts not making electrical connection with any of the contacts of the connector.
Such problems may be particularly acute in applications having stacked components and a large number of corresponding contacts to mate with a connector. Such constructions are employed in existing and emerging technologies, and are introducing new demands on electrical connectors. For example, fuel cell technology utilizes a large number of conductive plates arranged in a stack, and it is desirable to monitor a voltage on the plates during operation. Thus, an electrical contact is provided for each plate, and the contacts are interfaced with a circuit board which processes the voltage on the plates in the stack for monitoring purposes. The contacts are fixed to each plate along an end edge thereof, but the width of the plates in the stack is subject to manufacturing tolerances which may accumulate over a large number of the plates in the stack. Due to the accumulation of tolerances, the actual centerline spacing of some of the contacts in the plates of the fuel cell stack may vary by up to 100% or more of the nominal centerline spacing of the plates in the stack. Such variance of the centerline spacing of the contacts in the stack frustrates the use of conventional connectors to connect the contacts of the plates to the circuit board. The varying contact centerlines will either prohibit mating of the connector to the plate contacts entirely, or cause shorting of the contacts and/or open circuits between the connector and the contacts of the stack.
Conventionally, such tolerance issues have been addressed with tighter control of the manufacturing tolerances. However, reducing the tolerances can become cost prohibitive in certain applications.